2019 ETHS Annual Meeting of the Membership

“Showdown in Knoxville—November 27, 1917” will be the topic of Wanda Sobieski’s address at the annual dinner of the East Tennessee Historical Society on Tuesday, May 14, at the Foundry on World’s Fair Park. Both members and the general public are invited to attend. The event begins with a cash bar reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dinner, lecture, and awards presentations which begin at 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person and include both the lecture and dinner. Please click here to order tickets.

Who would have dreamed that Tennessee would become a focal point in the long struggle for a woman’s right to vote? Wanda Sobieski will discuss the role of Tennessee, and especially East Tennessee, in the long struggle for woman suffrage. Sobieski will recount a series of events in Knoxville, November 20, 1917, leading to high emotions that eventually erupted into armed conflict at the old Knox County Courthouse. These events helped fuel the hope that Tennessee could turn the tide of southern resistance. And despite the fierce opposition in the South, Tennessee eventually delivered the final, crucial vote for woman suffrage.

An attorney with Sobieski, Messer & Elledge, Wanda Sobieski is president of the Tennessee Suffrage Coalition, and led the successful efforts to remember the suffrage leaders with statues on the corner of Market & Clinch and Market & Union in downtown Knoxville.

The occasion will also feature the presentation of Awards of Excellence to organizations and individuals for special projects to preserve and promote the region’s history, these include the Teaching Excellence Award, History in the Media, Community History Award, Award of Distinction, and the Ramsey Award for Lifetime Achievement. Established in 1834, the East Tennessee Historical Society is widely acknowledged to be one of the most active history organizations in the state and enjoys a national reputation for excellence in programming and education.

The event will be held at the Foundry on the World’s Fair Park, 747 World’s Fair Park Drive, Knoxville, and is open to the public. Reservations are required and are requested by May 9. To make reservations or for additional information call 865-215-8883 or visit our website at www.eastTNhistory.org.